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Friday, January 31, 2014

Swedish electronic performer/producer/musician CEO has a new album, "Wonderland," due on Modular People next week. The album is a wonder (no pun intended), a joyous, glorious mix of electric rave and world music. It's island party music and it makes me smile. Listen to the title track below.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

The doom and gloom purveyors of Goth Bauhaus get the cover treatment from Scottish, electro-pop trio CHVRCHES on the upcoming soundtrack to "Vampire Academy," a movie i've never heard of. I never would have imagined "Bela Lugosi's Dead" in this manner, but it's ultimately pretty damn enjoyable. Listen below.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Disney's upcoming live action retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" from the villain's perspective "Maleficent," feelings for Angelina Jolie aside, looks like it could be pretty interesting. And Lana Del Rey has offered up a fairly haunting but straight forward take on the classic "Once Upon a Dream." Listen below.

Monday, January 27, 2014

So, Bill Callahan's excellent 2013 album "Dream River" has been looped with mixing and effects to create a dub version of the album called "Have Fun with God." And it's fantastic. Hypnotizing. Like taking acid and wandering into the jungle.

I don't know what's in the water down in Argentina, but it sure sounds soupy and sexy. The warm synths of Coiffeur hum and sway, the chilled-out, blissed-out sounds of a neon lit swimming pool at night, cocktail glasses clinking, hearts racing. Listen to "Oxigeno" below.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

You may not immediately recognize the name Kim Fowley, but you've almost certainly heard his work before, as he has contributed to bands like KISS, Alice Cooper, and The Modern Lovers, as well as introducing the world to The Runaways. "International Heroes" is Fowley's 1973 solo album, a grand affair of glam rock with sprinkles of prog and old fashioned rock n' roll strewn throughout. And it's fantastic, a perfect snapshot of the 1970's glam rock scene. Fans of Bowie, Roxy Music, T. Rex, and The New York Dolls will dig on this. So, let's hear a few tunes. To start, here's the more somber and brooding "I Hate You."

And here's the thumping and strange "Born Dancer."

And finally, my favorite, the album title track.

Spain's Vinilisssimo Records are set to reissue "International Heroes" next month. No word on a stateside release, but it's definitely worth searching out if you're a glam fan.

Raucous, snot-slinging Atlanta garage-punks The Coathangers are back with new album "Suck my Shirt" on Suicide Squeeze. It's sweaty, manic, and perfect. Listen to "Follow Me" below and look for the album in March.

While we're on the subject of Death Waltz Records and their future releases, might as well take a gander at Susan Justin's synth score to Roger Corman shlock fest "Forbidden World" too. Listen to "Mutation" below.

It would seem that Death Waltz Records is gearing up for another year of outstanding soundtrack releases, kicking it off with Ralph Jones' score to the 80's slasher flick "Slumber Party Massacre." Hooray to another year of financial turmoil as i scramble to buy every last bit of output this label puts out. Listen to and download "End Titles" below.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Trolling through the hundreds of artists on bandcamp often yields amazing results. Chicago's Has a Shadow take psych rock and shoegaze and filter it through blistering, ear shattering noise rock. This is the kind of music that should be seen in a tiny warehouse, walls shaking, smoke on the air. Get the band's 2013 album "Sky Is Hell Black" from Captcha Recordshere and listen to the wail of "John Lennon" below.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Soundtrack worship and homages to all things horror scores seem to be everywhere lately...at least in my living room. I don't know about yours. Manchester prog rock band Plank! keep it up with their latest 7" release "Aphidelity." That's the excellent cover art above. The music is synthy, proggy, cosmic disco, the sounds of the funky alien invasion. You could make a lot of comparisons to Steve Moore's Zombi. Listen to the A-side below and get the record here or from Akoustik Anarkhy Recordings.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

RIP Italian film score composer Riz Ortolani. Ortolani always made beautiful music, even if it was meant to accompany grotesque or macabre imagery on screen He was 87. Listen to the theme from "Cannibal Holocaust" and "Oh My Love" from the film "Goodbye Uncle Tom" and more recently used in "Drive."

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Here's the latest jam from rapper Schoolboy Q's upcoming "Oxymoron" LP. "Break the Bank" features production from The Alchemist and feels like an evil, ominous ode to drugs and such. The album's out next month. Listen below.

Sevendeaths hail from Scotland, and make wonderful synth and lazer music to soundtrack the implosion of the universe. Far out, extraterrestrial stuff, fitting for headphones and planetariums alike. "All Night Graves" comes from the "Concrete Misery" LP on LuckyMe Records. Listen below.

Irreverent lo-fi goofball Mac DeMarco has a new album of slurred pop songs due in April from Captured Tracks. The addition of some synth to the zoned out mix is pretty intoxicating. Listen to "Passing Out Pieces" from the upcoming "Salad Days" below.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Soooo...a bunch of musicians and comedians got together to do a cover of '85 Bears' "The Super Bowl Shuffle." Members of the super group include Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Tim Harrington (Les Savy Fav), Honus Honus (Man Man), David Wain (The State, Stella), Kyle Kinane, and internet cat Lil Bub among others. And just like the original...it's amazing. Listen below. And look for the charity 7" in the near future to benefit Reading Is Fundamental.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Beck has a new, non sheet music, album on the way in February on Capital Records. "Blue Moon" is the first single from "Morning Phase," and it's sad, folky, and orchestral. Sad, folky and orchestral Beck is usually pretty good stuff, even if i do miss irreverent, folky, and lo-fi Beck. Listen below.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Because it can't be all drone and gloom and echoes all the time, here's a little instrumental afro-beat number from Austin's own Hard Proof. "Tere" is the B-side to the "Dragon" single on Kept Records, and it is a jazzy, funky wonder. Listen below. Happy Sunday.

Lee Noble is an experimental LA artist who dabbles in bits of fuzz, hum, tape loops, drone, and dub, all in a wonderful lo-fi mix. I just picked up his M. Geddes Gengras produced 2011 album "No Becoming" from Bathetic Records yesterday, and it's excellent. That's the creepy cover art above. Listen to "Doesn't Matter What's Right" below.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Having just discovered Australian instrumental synth band The Night Terrors (whose soundtrack style jams are banging around in my head constantly), i was pretty excited to see that the band has a new album coming out in February. Get "Spiral Vortex" from Homeless Records and listen to "The Devil Played Backwards" below.

My next post will be about something other than The Night Terrors. I promise.

Friday, January 17, 2014

I really have no idea how i missed the 2009 album "Back to Zero" from Melbourne, Australia's The Night Terrors. The album is a wonderful mix of analog synths, rock beats, and theremin swirl, an homage to horror/sci-fi soundtrack music. This is my thing man! How did i miss this?! At any rate, you can still get it digitally or on CD from the band here, or on vinyl on Homeless Records (it's coming from Australia, so be prepared for that shipping cost). In the meanwhile, listen to "The Dream Eater" below.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

And i thought My Bloody Valentine took a long time between records. Folk singer Linda Perhacs is finally releasing her sophomore album "The Soul of All Natural Things," a mere 44 years since her first album "Parallelograms." Perhacs' music is flowing and haunting and absolutely wonderful. I am stoked for this release. Listen to "River of God" below and get the album in March on Asthmatic Kitty.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

As he gets older, outlaw country artist Hank Williams III gets more and more prolific. Last year, he released two albums, one of country music, and the other a more punk/experimental tinged record. "A Fiendish Threat" is that record. The album skips along touching on punk, hints of country music, lo-fi sonics, and some experimental flourishes for kicks. Like every single album Hank 3 releases, it keeps you guessing. Listen to the weird "Your Floor" below and get the album here.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Well...i did my year-end best-of list for my favorite movies of 2013 a week or so ago, and man oh man, did i miss out on a spectacular piece of film making from British auteur Ben Wheatley (director of the fantastic "Kill List"). "Sightseers" is dark and hilarious, the story of a quirky and lovesick couple who go on holiday, see the sights, and kill some people. Easily my favorite film right now. Watch the trailer below.

French black metal band Alcest take the more atmospheric route on their latest album "Shelter," channeling their inner U2 and Sigur Ros to create some really beautiful music. The album is out on Prophecy later this month, but watch the video for "Opale" below.

The rumored new Liars album has a release date: March 24th. It also has a first single: "Mess on a Mission." These guys continue to astound and impress and hypnotize with every new release. Listen to the single below and be on the look out for "Mess" on Mute.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Detroit post punk noise rock band Protomartyr continue to bash and bang their way through cold, dark, and angular odes to discontent, a tone perfect soundtrack for a dying metropolis. Listen to "Scum, Rise!" below and look for the band's "Under Color of Official Right" in April from Hardly Art.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Indie acts covering mainstream pop songs is nothing new. In fact, it's kind of become cliched, with the annoyance of the tune far outweighing the novelty of its new context. That being said, i'm digging songsmith Sondre Lerche's earnest and moving take on Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball." Listen below.

"Sun Choir" is the latest project from Edinburgh based band Marram, a collaboration with a number of different artists recorded with and for the Light of Love's Children's Choir. The proceeds benefit the Everything is New Project which helps children from India's "untouchable" Dalit class. "Falling from the Sun" features a duet between former Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker and Scottish singer Margaret Bennett. It's wonderful and the whole thing is for an excellent cause. Listen below and get the record from Transgressive North.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

One of the surprises of 2012 (and probably my favorite record of that year to boot) was Trust's "TRST," a beeping, booping, moody, electro-goth album that hit Depeche Mode in all the right places. New album "Joyland" is due March 4th on Arts & Crafts, but you can listen to first single "Rescue, Mister" below.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

As i continue to play catch up on what was the year 2013, i'd like to say i have a good excuse for missing "Virgins," the latest release from experimental drone artist Tim Hecker. I'd like to say that, but i'd be lying. There simply is no excuse for missing this dazzling, swirling, claustrophobic sound section. This is the kind of music that bores its way into your skull and then stays there for the winter. Wonderful stuff. Get the album from Kranky and listen to "Virginal II" below.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Berlin based British artist Samuel Kerridge released a moody, disturbing album at the end of last year that somehow escaped my notice. "A Fallen Empire" is full of ambient noise, tape crack and hum, haunting textures and sounds, and propulsive synthetic beats to soundtrack your journey into the darkness. Think Vatican Shadow, Raime, The Haxan Cloak, etc. Listen to an album sampler below and look for the album on Downwards Records.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Word on the street says that Waxworks Records is readying a vinyl reissue release of the original "Friday the 13th" soundtrack later this year. That's a teaser of some possible cover art above. I'm a big fan of horror soundtracks (and this one in particular), so i welcome this news with open arms and beaming heart. Listen to Harry Manfredini's "End Theme" below.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Here's a little face melting, sun drenched, psych pop number from LA artist Morgan Delt. After a promising small run cassette release last year, Trouble In Mind will be releasing his new record later this month. Listen to "Obstacle Eyes" below and try to keep warm in the winter storm...or wherever you are.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

And one more list for 2013. Unfortunately i was unable to see all the movies i would have liked to last year, so this is hardly a definitive list. I missed a lot...especially in the latter half of the year, but of what i was able to catch, here are my 9 favorites...

"You're Next": Adam Wingard's home invasion horror flick is a perfect specimen of the genre. It's scary, gruesome, exciting, and funny. The film flopped at the box office which is a travesty, because it probably is the best horror movie of the year. I command you all to buy the blu-ray whenever it comes out.

"Upstream Color": Director Shane Carruth's second feature is an odd and beautiful little duck, playing like some sort of Philip Dick fever dream as envisioned by Terrence Malick. I really don't think i can describe the plot...you just have to watch it...more than once.

"Evil Dead": A remake of a classic horror film that's actually good! And it just may be the goriest movie i've ever seen. You can't beat that endorsement.

"This Is The End": This movie is so much funnier than it has any right to be. What could have played out as a bunch of Hollywood narcissism actually becomes a hilarious indictment of that whole culture. Looking forward to the rumored meta-meta-sequel.

"The World's End": Everything Edgar Wright touches turns to gold. This finale to the "Cornetto Trilogy" pulls no punches, constantly making left turns, and consistently surprising the viewer (read me). I want to be friends with Pegg and Frost.

"Only God Forgives": This is a tough one. After my first viewing, i really didn't know what to think of the latest Nicolas Winding Refn joint. The film is a dark, slow-burning, occasionally hyper-violent, neon-colored meditation on revenge and the pointlessness there of.

"Escape from Tomorrow": A quirky little movie made guerrilla-style on location at Disney theme parks, a perfect back drop for a horror film about anxiety and dread.

"Room 237": This documentary of fan theories about "The Shining" actually hit the festival circuit in 2012, but i was unable to come across it until debuted on VOD last year. I love all the different ideas (even the boneheaded ones), and how they interweave with clips from the original film and a killer soundtrack. Definitely worth a watch from anyone who likes movies.

"Stoker": Foreign directors' first forays into English language film making is usually more miss than hit, but "Oldboy" director Park Chan-wook offered up a beauty this year with "Stoker," an icky and creepy thriller about an icky and creepy family. Despite the ugly nature of the movie, it's beautifully shot. The grime is just an added bonus. Plus, Nicole Kidman's lifeless plastic surgery has never been put to better use.

So, if you haven't seen all of these films, you have your homework ahead of you. Hopefully i'll catch up with the rest of 2013's best sometime in July.